Budolf eickemeyeb



(No Model.)

R. BICKEMEYER.

HAI1 BHIM HEATING MACHINE.

N PErERs. Hmlwlimonmpxmr. wmnng'vn. D c

' specification, taken in connection with the UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICEo RUDOLF EIGKEMEYER, OF YONKERS, NEV YORK.

HAT-BRlM-HEATING MACHINE.

ELIECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\l'o.338,49'l,A datedMarch 23, 1886.

Application filed October 23, 1885.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLF EIOKEMEYER, of Yonkers, in the county ofWestchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Hat-Brim-Heating Machine; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing drawings furnished and forming a part or the same, is a clear,true, and complete descrip tion of my invention.

It is to be understood that my machine can be proiitably'nsed in anybranch of hat-manufactoring wherein it could possibly be desirable tosoften by means of heat a portion of a hat-brim; but I have devised itwith special reference to its use in connection with certain brim=curling machines heretofore patented by me. l

In curling brims by any means known to me it is important that the outerportion of the brim be well heated without heating either the innerportion of the brim or the crown of the hat, and with my machine thiscan be done so perfectly that even if a hat be already lined with sweatsso delicate as to be readily injured by heat the latter can be leftintact, while the outer portion of the brim is exposed to suficientlyhigh temperatures for all practical purposes.

While my machines can be arranged so as to operate upon but one hat at atime, they are in their best form adapted to operate upon two or morehats, according to the rapidity with which the curling machinery isoperated; and I find that if my present machine is arranged to operateon three hats, andthe latter are applied thereto' and removedsequentially, a :maximum economy in time will be afforded. I have alsoso constructed my present machines that the outer portions of brims willbe properly and conveniently clamped while being heated, and the heatfairly well distributed at both sides of the brim.

After fully describing the machine illustrated in the drawings, thefeatures deemed novel will be specified in the several clauses of claimshereunto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l illustrates one of my machines infront elevation, but with one of the brim-clamps elevated and shown insection, and wherein one hat is shown imposition for heating and anotheras if just inserted or ready for removal. Fig. 2 is a cen Serial No.180,701. (No model.)

tral vertical cross-section of the same on line w, Fig. I. Fig. 3 is aplan or top view of the same with one of the brim-clamps detached. Fig.4 is a longitudinal section of the central portion of the machine online y, Fig. 3, and shows a hat in position for heating.

rlhe frame A of the machine may be variably constructed as to form andmaterials; but, as shown, it consists, mainly, of two cast-iron endpieces, which afford independent support to the hollow brim-heatingtable B and a bedplate, C. This heating-table in its best form is convexfrom side to side, as clearly indicated, and it may be composed of heavysheet metal tightly riveted, but is preferably of such cast metal aswill best resist the destructive influences of expansion and contractionand be capable of holding steam at ordinary pressures,and it is providedwith steam-heating connections, the induction and eduction steampipesbeingshown at a and c. According to the size of said table, it has oneor more circular or oval apertures, b, somewhat larger than the largesthat-blocks, and these apertures extend downward through the brim-table,but, having perfect side walls, they do not impair the steamtightcapacity of the table, and the convex surface of the table immediatelyadjacent to these apertures constitutes the brim-heating beds. By havinga series of brim-beds heated by steam within a chamber common to all ofthe beds much better results will accrue than if each bed had its ownsteam-space, because of the uniformity with which all the brim-beds canbe heated and because of the lessened liability of condensation. As hereshown, there are three of these apertures, and in each there iscentrallylocated a crown-bed, D, sufficiently smaller than the apertureto afford a free annular space between said bed and the table. Thesecrown-beds, thus practically insulated from the brim-beds, are mountedupon the thin frame bed-plate C,which is supported at its ends by themain frame, and each bed is set upon four vertical bolts, c, which arevertically adjustable, which enable the bed to be accurately adjustedwith relation to the con- Vex portions of the surface of theheating-table,

which serve as brim-beds. In the best form each crown-bed is hollow andwater-tight, and has an induction-pipe, d, entering at its bottom, andan eduction-pipe, d', projecting to near the interior surface of itstop, so that cool ICO Water may be continuously circulated therein in amanner most conducive to maintaining the top of the crown-bed at a lowtemperature, and enabling it to operate effectively as a cooling-bed forsuch portions of the hat as should not be heated. If the crown-bed bemade of solid metal, or of some good non-conducting material, fairresults will accrue; but for reliable service it should be speciallycooled, as described.

Each crown-bed is provided at its upper surface with a block-centeringchuck, e, heretofore patented by me May 5, 1885, Patent No. 317,104.This chuck is of such form that it not only enables a hat-block with ahat thereon to be accurately mounted centrally, but also mounted withreference to the front and rear ends of the hat, thus enabling` a hat tobe always so mounted that no more than the exactly proper portion of abrim can possibly be exposed to the brim-heating bed. Other forms ofchuck can be employed without departure from certain portions of myinvention, and so may some of the latter be employed to advantage if nochuck be used.

With each brim-heating bed and a crownbed an annular or oval brim-clamp,E, is cmployed, which is composed of metal, and has a convex under facecorresponding exactly with the convex surface of the brim-bed, and saidclamps are vertically movable by being hinged at their' rear ends to thehollow table, andeach is provided with a tail-piece, f,which is coupledto a treadle, g, so that on depressing thelatter the clamp will be swungupward and rearward from its normal position, for enabling a hat to bereadily applied or removed. It will be observed that the clamp alwaysbears upon the brim-bed, except when the treadle is depressed, thusproviding for heating the clamp preparatory to inserting a hat, 7L. Forobviating all possibility of injuring the brims of a hat by undueheating, I clothe the brimbed and the face ofthe clamp with felt orother woolen fabric.

The clamps may, if desired, be chambered and supplied with steam throughhollow trunnions at their hinge-joints; but I find that they can besufficiently well heated by resting upon the heated brim-bed. It will beobvious that the brim-clamp, normally supported by the brim-bed andlifted by a treadle, will be of more or less service, even when nocrown-bed is employed, because in this case the hat will be held by itsbrim, and its crown kept fairly cool by the upward currents of airthrough the apertures b, although better results will accrue if thecrown be specially supported. In some cases it is desirable that theentire surface of the heating-table be smooth or unbroken, and if so itmay be covered with very thin sheet metal, and this in turn may becovered with woolen cloth or felt.

With a machine thus constructed (it being assumed that propercirculation of steam and of water is provided for) I find itadvantageous to proceed as follows, whether the brims be first trimmed'or untrimmed: In brim-curling with my machines as aforesaid a hat isrst mounted upon a brim-block, and is retained thereon throughout theseveral operations. The brim-clamps having been in their normal positionfor a sufficient length of time to properly heat them, the treadles arethen successively depressed and three hats successively placed in theposition indicated in the drawings. By the time the last of the threehats is placed in position the rst one will be usually at a proper heatfor the folding-machine, whereupon the operator depresses the propertreadle, removes the hat, and permits the clamp to assume its normalposition on the brim-bed to properly heat it for the next hat. Thefolding-machine is then operated on the first hat, and is then allowedto rest, for permitting the hat to properly cool, and during this restanother hat is placed in this machine, and then after removing the rsthat from the folding-machine the second hat is removed from thismachine, and so on in regular'order, enabling these operations to beperformed with substantial economy in the matter of time.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. In a brim-heating machine, the combination,substantially as hereinbefore described, of a hollow annular or ovalbrim-bed provided with steam-heating connections,and a central crown-bedpractically insulated from said brim-bed.

2. In a brim-heating machine, the combination, with the annularbrim-heating bed, of the central insulated hollow crown-bed providedwith means for interior water-circulation, substantially as described.

3. In a brim-heating machine, the combination of the brim-heating bed, acentral crownbed, and a vertically-movable brim-clamp, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a brim-heating machine, the combination ofa brim-heating bed and acentral crownbed provided with a block-centering chuck, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a brim-heating machine, the combination of the brim -heating bed,the annular brimclamp normally in contact with said bed, and a treadlefor lifting and lowering it, substantially as described.

6. In a brim-heating machine, the combination of the brim-heating bed,the central insulated crown-bed, a block-chuck on said crown-bed, and abrim-clamp, substantially as described.

7. In a brim-heating machine, the combination of the brim-heating bed,the central aperture, and the brim-clamp, substantially as described.

8. In a brim-heating machine, a hollow steam-table provided with aseries of annular or oval brim-beds which are heated by steam within thetable, substantially as described.

Vitnesses: RUDOLF EICKEMEYER.

HENRY OSTERHELD, HYATT L. GARRIsoN.

TCO

